Tallula, Washington Blvd in South Clarendon - Chef Rob Rubba Replaces Nate Waugaman, GM Michael Williams Replaces Matt Molaski - Closed

[Roo]

I had a really great early dinner last night on Tallula's patio. The Gnome's Water cocktail (Hendrick's, lime, cucumber) was perfect for the warm weather evening. A really refreshing cocktail. My wife's cocktails (The Alchemist and the Blushing Tart) were excellent as well.

The Amuses continue to be a standout. Especially liked the Ceviche (esp. in this weather), and the Crab Pot Sticker is just as good as the first time I had it. At about two bites per two people (i.e., four bites), it is a great chance to sample some intense flavors. I went and ordered the foie gras and was very glad that I did. I don't have a lot of experience with foie, but I loved how all the flavors combined together (quail egg, candied peach) in a rich-but-not-too rich bite. We also had the sunchoke soup -- good, no complaints, but not the home runs of the other dishes. Lastly, we split the vidalia onion ravioli. A really perfect spring dish to my mind. Just enough sweetness from the onions, a bit of richness from the ricotta.

Five dishes and four drinks, just a tad over $100. Attentive, friendly service, too.

[Lydia R]

You call tell it's late Friday afternoon...and the toques keep turning:

Tallula, EatBar get new chef

Washington Business Journal - by Tierney Plumb Staff Reporter

Andrew Markert, a former apprentice at Citronelle, landed his own executive chef job at an Arlington restaurant and bar.

Starting this month, Markert will walk with a whisk between chic eatery Tallula and its casual back lounge and pub EatBar at 2761 Washington Blvd.

The previous chef of both restaurants, Nathan Anda, will be staying with the local ownership group, Neighborhood Restaurant Group.

Anda plans to open a butcher shop and restaurant for the group. He is currently nailing down the concept and finding a spot for it.

<snip>

His 10-year culinary resume includes being chef de partie under Michel Richard, working at all stations on a rotating basis.

Most recently, Markert was chef de cuisine at the contemporary American restaurant Vermilion in Old Town.

[Escoffier]

You call tell it's late Friday afternoon...and the toques keep turning:

This has been in the works for some time. Nate said something about this the last time we were there (third week of June). Congratulations to Andrew, he did a great job at Vermilion and he'll do a great job at Tallula.

As much as we dislike not being able to eat Nate's wonderful and innovative food, I think Andrew will carry on in the same tradition.

[Billy DeLion]

Had a spur of the moment brunch at Tallula on Sunday and really could not recommend this meal to anyone. It was our first time there and we were anticipating some good eats however it was very disappointing.

I ordered the omelet with the vegetables they had listed and no cheese, my wife ordered the fried egg sandwich and we ordered french toast to split.

The order took over half an hour to fulfill, despite a crowd of at most a third of the space. During the wait we had to chase down our waiter to receive a refill of coffee(which was good, if difficult to obtain). When the food did arrive the omelet was oozing cheese. When I pointed out that I had ordered vegetables with no cheese, they served my wife, left the french toast and said they would cook another omelet. Fair enough, but after the half hour wait with little coffee and no food we thought perhaps another wait wasn't worth it. The crowd had begun to increase and we didn't relish half a table of cold breakfast food with a hot omelet.

Taking the two slices of french toast for myself we began to eat. The french toast was horrible. It was completely damp and limp with no crispness whatsoever. The cinnamon sugar mixture coating it was gummy and left an unpleasant mouthfeel. The blueberry jam and maple syrup they served with it were not portions large enough to help. My wife's fried egg sandwich was a further disappointment. There were huge slices of raw red onion which obliterated any other tastes causing my wife to remove them after the first bite. On the next bite the bread began to crumble all over her plate. She described it as "stale and dry, yech". She then removed that and ate the fried egg leaving a pile of oversized onions and crumbled bread. there were potatoes with her sandwich which were cooked okay so they constituted the better part of our brunch with the coffee(when we could get it).

No one acknowledged the uneaten food, the interminable wait and the generally abysmal service. Oh well.

Sorry to deliver a poor report on what would seem to be a well liked place, but this was an experience which was sorely lacking and I would not wish it on anyone else.

BD

[DonRocks]

Nathan Anda was back in at Tallula last night, showing off his formidable array of charcuterie. Nathan is now working full-time making charcuterie which will eventually find its way into all the NRG restaurants, and what he's doing with pork is awesome:

First, a platter of Genoa, Sopressata, Finnochiona, Lomo, Toscano, Cappicola, Bresaola, Cacciatorini, and Lamb Sausage.

Then terrines of pork shoulder-liver, straight pork liver, and coppa di testa.

Next an incredible trio of lardo sashimi (!), all from the same pig, consisting of jowl, belly, and fatback.

Then the greatest dish of all, pig-ear french fries (!!) accompanying a pile of steak tartare. Pig-ear french fries!

Finally, the knockout punch - a sugo made from the forlorn scraps.

Head-to-tail, sans naughty bits. A porcine orgy. Never eating again.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[edenman]

Head-to-tail, sans naughty bits. A porcine orgy. Never eating again.

You forgot the cotechino and fried egg dish (Nathan: "the secret of the egg? lots of butter")

Also, the pancetta on the top of the greens on top of the sugo was like the cherry on the top of a sundae. A 6-course, porked-out sundae.

I started walking back to the metro afterwards and only made it about a block before hailing a cab. Still haven't eaten anything today and don't plan to, except maybe a salad for dinner if I'm not still full by then. Hedonistic, incredible. Can't wait til we can get this stuff more widely, there were too many highlights to list them all. [of course, the obligatory "I work at Rustico, which is in the same group" statement goes here].

[mdt]

Nathan Anda was back in at Tallula last night, showing off his formidable array of charcuterie.

Was this a special dinner that they were doing or just a lucky drop in for you?

[DonRocks]

Was this a special dinner that they were doing or just a lucky drop in for you?

Nathan contacted me yesterday afternoon, and said ferment everything was coming in for a charcuterie feast, so I horned in on the party. (I paid full-boat; it wasn't cheap.)

[Jon Karl]

I meant to post earlier on this. A couple weeks ago, I had a terrific dinner at Tallula, my first since Andrew Markert took over as chef. I've always liked Tallula: great atmosphere, a smart selection of reasonably priced wines and good food. This was a great meal; the best I have ever had at Tallula and one of the best meals I have had in Virginia since the glory days of 2941.

Highlights: Rabbit Pappardelle and Duck Twofold.

I also found a little treasure on the wine list: The Sineann Champoux Vineyard merlot. I've never seen this wine outside of Sineann's tasting room.

Bravo!

[lekkerwijn]

I also found a little treasure on the wine list: The Sineann Champoux Vineyard merlot. I've never seen this wine outside of Sineann's tasting room.

Bravo!

Agreed, that is a little treasure and one of Sineann's best. I am pretty sure it is normally only sold in Sineann's tasting room, which is where we bought ours.

[mdt]

...here. Click.

[DPop]

Wow, what a coup for the NRG.

[DonRocks]

Wow, what a coup for the NRG.

Perhaps, but let's not forget how talented Andrew Markert is:

I meant to post earlier on this. A couple weeks ago, I had a terrific dinner at Tallula, my first since Andrew Markert took over as chef. I've always liked Tallula: great atmosphere, a smart selection of reasonably priced wines and good food. This was a great meal; the best I have ever had at Tallula and one of the best meals I have had in Virginia since the glory days of 2941.

Highlights: Rabbit Pappardelle and Duck Twofold.

I also found a little treasure on the wine list: The Sineann Champoux Vineyard merlot. I've never seen this wine outside of Sineann's tasting room.

Bravo!

[grover]

Perhaps, but let's not forget how talented Andrew Markert is:

Yeah, I second that and would like to know where he went.

[Sthitch]

Anyone know where Markert went?

[DonRocks]

Anyone know where Markert went?

Patience, patience ...

[cheezepowder]

Has anyone been here lately? What's the menu like now? Is the menu similar to what's on their website (which still says Chef Nathan Anda)?

[Escoffier]

Has anyone been here lately? What's the menu like now? Is the menu similar to what's on their website (which still says Chef Nathan Anda)?

...and it says Chef Nathan Anda with good reason. Nate is Chef for the next little while until the new chef takes over. We were there about a month ago and the food is better than ever. Hard to go wrong with Nate and Tallula.

[V.H.]

Anyone know if Tallula has high chairs or should we bring our own little booster seat?

[Walrus]

...and it says Chef Nathan Anda with good reason. Nate is Chef for the next little while until the new chef takes over. We were there about a month ago and the food is better than ever. Hard to go wrong with Nate and Tallula.

Good for Nate! Any idea what "the next little while" is?

[Escoffier]

Good for Nate! Any idea what "the next little while" is?

Personally, I'm going with mid-May early June...

[cheezepowder]

Earlier this week, there was a mailing list email that said, "We are very pleased to welcome Barry Koslow to the team as he assumes the Executive Chef position this week at Tallula and Eatbar." Also the menu on the website has now been updated with his name as the chef.

[Walrus]

Had a great meal here tonight. I'll start by saying that, honestly, I don't really love the space/decor at Tallula -- some white tablecloths would make a nice difference, in my opinion. I also wasn't so impressed with the wines that were chosen for us the previous time that we ate there, but after tonight, I'm thinking that was just a miscall by the server rather than poor choices available. I don't have the names of what we drank tonight, but we had a red that was pretty darn nice! Now, for my favorite part -- the food!

We chose to have a tasting menu, which they'll do for anyone who asks for it -- a great way to sample a bunch of fabulous items. We started with a triangle of chicken liver pate on toast with orange/shallot marmalade -- excellent. I've not always enjoyed chicken liver in the past because of the intensity of flavor, but this was light and almost fluffy, and particularly with the marmalade, it was excellent. The next course was a surprise for me -- octopus tentacles with chickpeas. Man, was this dish good!!! The texture was almost creamy, the flavor roasted and crispy...fabulous. This item is apparently on the menu for EatBar and is definitely going to appear in front of me again in my near future. Next we had tempura soft shell crab with a lovely schmear of avocado cream. As much as I hate to admit it -- particularly on this board -- I still have trouble eating whole crabs. There's a story Tripewriter tells about his cooking instructor and soft shell crabs that I think about every time I eat them...still, Tripewriter thought this dish delicious. This was followed by one of my favorite spring dishes that we've had -- pea ravioli -- it's tangy and creamy and delicate -- a beautiful dish. Next we had olive oil-poached halibut. Delectable. It was so delicate and so flavorful -- very, very nice. I usually prefer my fish seared, to give me that delightful crispy edge, but this dish surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. The fish was cooked perfectly and was accompanied by a couple slices of Nate's sausage -- slightly smoky, slightly spicy, juuuuuust right...yum. Next we had some beautiful lamb -- again, perfectly cooked, with just enough sea salt to make the flavor pop. Also with this dish were sugar peas, artichoke, and fingerling potatoes (with a secret flavor -- I got it a little bit right, but not all the way). We ended the large-knife courses with a gorgeous piece of beef. Perfectly seared, perfect temperature. The accompaniment for this one was a combo of radicchio and pine nuts. I thought it was very good, but I'm not convinced that it totally complemented the beef. Tripewriter, however, thought it was a nice contrast. We took a pause to digest and then continued with beer and cheese -- love it! We were pretty full at this point but couldn't possibly have resisted the desserts -- I had the rhubarb cobbler with a miniature goat cheese cheesecake -- so light and creamy. Tripewriter had a turtle chocolate cake that was simply irresistible. It was a good thing he was so full because I was able to snag almost half of the cake, along with a good portion of the house-made pistachio ice cream.

All in all, it was a great evening -- so good to see Barry and Joey rocking out the kitchen so soon. Rumor has it that the brunch menu has been overhauled as well -- so chances are good you'll see us at EatBar and for brunch soon!

[ktmoomau]

I wanted to post about the recent Tallula brunch I had, because I used to love brunch at Tallula. They had these ricotta cherry pancakes that were incredible a couple years ago. The best pancake I ever had. Then we went this last fall and had a horrible brunch (hard biscuits, terrible gravy, overcooked bacon). The food was just not good (well and we had a bad experience at Eatbar too close to that so we just gave it some time). But then we took my Stepmother this weekend to brunch there I figured with the new(ish now) chef we would give it a try again and it seemed like food she would like.

I still miss the pancakes, but brunch was really good. We were there when a bridal shower was going on so it took a little while as they had just ordered. I can understand that, although by the time we got our food we were hungry. I got the suckling pig with grits and tomatillo sauce. This was rich, but very good. The grits were very good, not gloopy not thin and not instant. The suckling pig was delicate and soft and very flavorful. The sauce cut a bit of the richness.

Stepmother had an omelet she was very happy with and Hubby got eggs and bacon because he loves the bacon there. We will now go back more often as it used to be a regular place for us and then after how bad it was once we stopped, but I am very happy brunch is very good again. We like that there is a good place nearby with reasonable priced brunch that isn't overly crowded and loud.

[Escoffier]

Grover and I decided to make the trip to Tallula last night and put the new (well, not that new) chef and menu to test. I'm just going to list the food we had (it was the seven course tasting menu...don't say you weren't warned) and then comment afterward.

Chicken Liver Terrine and Rabbit Pate with pickled chard stems, shallot and orange marmalade. There's nothing I can add to the description of this except that the Terrine and Pate were excellent.

The wine: Mumms "Cordon Rouge" NV

Hamachi Crudo, cucumber gazpacho, Thai basil, grapefruit gelee. Grover gave the highest compliment she could give a chef about raw fish; "He could be a sashimi chef."

The wine: Anton Bauer "Gmark" Gruner Vetliner

Charred Spanish Octopus, chick peas, pear onions, sherry vinaigrette. Amazing, the octopus had a nice initial resistance to the bite and then the almost creamy meaty interior of the tentacles. This is done sous-vide.

The wine: Viaconde de Barrantes Albarino

Poached Sockeye Salmon, corn puree, ratatouille, pistou, smoked almonds. I wasn't sure about the corn puree so I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely it complemented the salmon. I could have had this dish as the only dish of the night.

The wine: "Young Vine" Barbera d'Alba

Eco-Friendly Foods Kid Goat, Yukon gnocchi, spinach, garlic, cinnamon. Not the harsh tasting goat you're probably thinking of, this was very smoothly flavored, almost a beef like flavor. The gnocchi could have stood alone. I hope Tallula never stops making their own gnocchi, it's excellent.

The wine: Soter "North Valley" Pinot Noir. From the Willamette Valley. A lighter Pinot with a light start and a very quick finish. It brought out all of the flavors of the dish but didn't overpower any of them.

Roseda NY Strip Sirloin, local tomatoes, beets, watermelon, salsa verde, green peppercorns. Great beef, what more do I need say. A perfect medium rare (closer to rare then medium), tender and very flavorful. The tomato, beets and watermelon were presented on the plate as round accompaniments and added a nice bit of color. The tomato was excellent and the beet had that great earthy flavor that you expect but the watermelon was the surprise favorite of the two of us. A nice unexpected surprise.

The wine: Firefinch "Ripe Red" a light, fruity, mellow red. A great wine to finish off dinner. Very easy to drink, I'd buy a couple of bottles just to have a wine to drink with friends even without food being involved.

And (almost) last but certainly not least:

Goat cheese cheesecake, blueberry preserves, creamsicle ice cream, berry cobbler. Enough said. This speaks for itself quite well (and didn't last very long either)

The wine: Kluge "Cru". One of the better wines from Patricia Kluge's vineyard. Definitely a dessert wine, sweet and smooth without the aftertaste.

Oh, and we can't forget the epoisse, portwine fig compote.

Jessie, our server paired the wines and, as usual, did an excellent job...and thank you, Barry. An auspicious start.

[catharine]

Has anyone tried the Neighborhood Nosh special that Tallula announced in a recent email? I checked the website, and the only info I have is that it is a three-course menu available Mondays-Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 for $35.

[rojo]

Has anyone tried the Neighborhood Nosh special that Tallula announced in a recent email? I checked the website, and the only info I have is that it is a three-course menu available Mondays-Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 for $35.

Tallula's Neighborhood Nosh Menu is available Sunday - Wednesday to guests who are seated between 5:30pm and 6:30pm.

It is a Three Course Dinner (Appetizer / Entree / Dessert) for $35.00 *does not incl beverage, tax and gratuity.

We offer our full menu to guests who wish to enjoy the promotion!

Reservations can be made on OpenTable or by calling us at (703) 778-5051

Thanks,

Matt Molaski

Tallula / EatBar

[catharine]

Tallula's Neighborhood Nosh Menu is available Sunday - Wednesday to guests who are seated between 5:30pm and 6:30pm.

It is a Three Course Dinner (Appetizer / Entree / Dessert) for $35.00 *does not incl beverage, tax and gratuity.

We offer our full menu to guests who wish to enjoy the promotion!

Reservations can be made on OpenTable or by calling us at (703) 778-5051

Thanks,

Matt Molaski

Tallula / EatBar

Thanks, Matt. Sounds like a great deal! I look forward to taking advantage of this offer.

[kevinconaway]

Earlier this week, there was a mailing list email that said, "We are very pleased to welcome Barry Koslow to the team as he assumes the Executive Chef position this week at Tallula and Eatbar." Also the menu on the website has now been updated with his name as the chef.

I'm slightly disappointed with the new menu, the mini corn dogs were a favorite of mine

[New Foodie]

I haven't been to Tallula in a couple years I don't think, but am going on Saturday with the +1 and his parents. What's good on the new menu? Anything to be avoided?

[DonRocks]

I haven't been to Tallula in a couple years I don't think, but am going on Saturday with the +1 and his parents. What's good on the new menu? Anything to be avoided?

I had a fine dinner there a couple weeks ago, particularly enjoying the Fritto Misto, Housemade Garlic Sausage, and Chatham Cod. A half-order of the Butternut Squash and Robiola Ravioli was delicious, but boy was the portion stingy, and I thought the Gnocchi with wild boar was too salty with the gnocchi itself lost in the dish.

(This may sound semi-critical, but the meal was good enough to put Tallula back atop the Clarendon portion of the Dining Guide.)

Cheers,

Rocks

[jfw]

I had a fine dinner there a couple weeks ago, particularly enjoying the Fritto Misto, Housemade Garlic Sausage, and Chatham Cod. A half-order of the Butternut Squash and Robiola Ravioli was delicious, but boy was the portion stingy, and I thought the Gnocchi with wild boar was too salty with the gnocchi itself lost in the dish.

(This may sound semi-critical, but the meal was good enough to put Tallula back atop the Clarendon portion of the Dining Guide.)

Cheers,

Rocks

Despite a lackluster brunch experience a few weeks ago with some friends at EatBar, I accepted an invite to return to the other side of the building (Tallula) last weekend. I'll echo much of what Rocks mentioned about his recent visit. The Tallula experience was very tasty.

Starters included the Fritto Misto and the Warm Mushroom Salad. The prawn on the misto plate was jaw-dropping. It was enormous. And tender. And sweet. And slippery (once past the nice fried envelope). Nicely done. The sweet and tart, sweet potatoes and lemon slices, were also fried just right. I contend the fried lemon at Palena, though, is a bit more consistent in flavor and texture. Overall, a solid plate. The mushroom salad was more of a spinach salad with a few pieces of mushroom. That's not to say there weren't some excellent flavors and textures on the plate, but I think the proportions were slightly off. Highlight of the salad was a perfectly poached egg. The egg white was light and bright and the whole package jiggled nicely on the mound of spinach and 'shrooms. I believe there was a crouton of sorts on the bottom and that it was appropriately buttery and crunchy.

Forgot to mention some drinks. I started the meal with some infused bourbon. I forget all that went into the infusion, but I know the result was stellar. Honey tones were memorable (five days on) and so were some other herbal flavors. A good drink. Reds by the glass (I believe we had a Tempranillo, a Malbec/Bonarda blend, and a Rhone blend) all paired well enough with the food. No specific flavors I remember from those wines.

Mains included the Chatham Cod with lentil crust and the NY Strip. My cod was outstanding. The cod wasn't as moist as what I cook at home, but everything else about it was far better. The lentil crust was nicely proportioned. Not too thick, but a good coating. Bacon wasn't as prominent a flavor as I expected, though the curry in the sauce was lovely. There was also a honey flavor prevalent in that sauce, but I doubt it was from the cider that was part of the reduction. Believe it or not, the cauliflower on that plate might've been the real highlight. I love what 2Amys does with cauliflower (they get it to taste toasty and nutty), but this was also rather amazing. The flavor was not bitter or sharp. It didn't appear to be dressed with much of anything. I think it was just really good product cooked exactly right. I didn't know cauliflower could shine like that. My wife had the steak and I didn't manage a taste. That's enough of a sign that it must've been excellent. I usually get a taste of everything, but she was really protective of that plate!

Dessert was banana cheesecake. Subtle banana flavor was just enough to liven up a nice, creamy, single-serving cheesecake. Not surprisingly, the banana went well with coconut, hazlenut, and chocolate flavors. A great end to the meal.

I never tried Barry Koslow's food when he was at Mendocino, but I'm glad to've tasted it over at Tallula.

JFW

[catharine]

I haven't been to Tallula in a couple years I don't think, but am going on Saturday with the +1 and his parents. What's good on the new menu? Anything to be avoided?

I enjoyed a wonderful meal at Tallula last night. I very much enjoyed the cod that others mentioned. However, my companion had the duck breast and it was outstanding. I highly recommend it.

The mushroom soup was a nice starter, but kind of underwhelming. (I guess I got spoiled by Palena's butternut squash and shiitake soup last week.) I was similarly unimpressed by the belgian waffle dessert. Nevertheless, I was really pleased with the meal overall and look forward to returning soon.

[rojo]

Tallula will be closed tonight and tomorrow for the safety of our guests and staff. We will re-open for Brunch Sunday at 10am.

EatBar will be open today at 4pm until as late as the weather allows and will most likely be closed tomorrow. Come join us tonight and help us drink up the last of our Bell's Hopslam!

Thanks,

Matt

[monavano]

I wrote in to Todd K.'s chat the other week, and wanted to post my experience here as well. Perfect poached egg-check. The cod-wow!. Mr. MV loves duck and loved his duck dish- check. Great desserts-check.

An amazing RW experience.

Alexandria, VA-A Restaurant Week Winner:

Hi Todd,

Reporting in from the field on a good RW experience.

I'm with you on the sentiment that if a restaurant is going to participate in RW, then they should do in the spirit that I believe RW was meant for; to draw in new customers and make them want to come back (and of course, fill seats).

In order to accomplish this, I think that the menu has to be varied, portion sized should not be reduced drastically from the usual, and service should be even. Most of all, RW patrons should be greeted and treated kindly.

Which brings me to my RW experience, which was a winner. Tallulah in Arlington offered their entire menu, with no upcharges.

The restaurant was busy, but our meal was relaxed and the food was spot on and showed a kitchen that was firing on all cylinders.

The warm mushroom salad was topped with a perfectly poached egg, and the cod was very fresh and cooked to buttery goodness. The curry cider reduction accompanying the fish was delicious too.

Now, onto dessert, where I'll see if you can sleuth a recipe for me. I enjoyed the banana cheesecake with chocolate hazelnut ganache and would love to try my hand at making it myself.

So, in the end, Tallulah has a new customer who will return for good service and great food because they cared enough to do RW, and do it right.

Thanks for the chat, and thanks for your help!

Todd Kliman:

Good for Tallula. That's the way to approach RW -- with seriousness, with openness, with sincerity.

Barry Koslow, the chef, cooked most recently at Mendocino Grille, in Georgetown (we had it in our Top 50 for a couple of years), and is a real talent, particularly when it comes to fish. Charcuterie, too -- so next time, don't pass up his sublime rabbit terrine.

[Escoffier]

Even though it's Nate that creates the charcuterie, Kliman and I agree..some great stuff...

[Josh Radigan]

there is no 'h' at the end of tallula.

[leleboo]

there is no 'h' at the end of tallula.

(there is when you mean Bankhead!)

[kirite]

We have brunch reservations at T in a couple of weeks. We prefer light to heavy. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[DonRocks]

We have brunch reservations at T in a couple of weeks. We prefer light to heavy. Any suggestions?

Thanks

X = White Bean soup, duck confit ... $6

Y = Braised pork roulade, anson mills grits, poached farm egg, tomatillo sauce ... $14

Z = Chocolate-Toffee Brownie Cake with pistachio ice cream ... $8.5

^ (X,Y,Z)

Even though it's Nate that creates the charcuterie, Kliman and I agree..some great stuff...

To clear up the charcuterie confusion: Nathan Anda makes everything hard (e.g., salami, bresaola, capicola), and Barry Koslow makes everything soft (e.g., terrines, pâtés). The rabbit terrine is exactly what Barry used to make at Mendocino Grille.

[tripewriter]

The Mrs and I have never been big into Valentine's Day (although we do celebrate the anniversary of our first date every year) but this dinner special for two, on offer at Tallula this weekend, was too tempting to miss.

Smoked Whole Maine Lobster For Two with Beet Slaw & Yuzu Butter | 30.

Côte de Boeuf For Two | 26 Ounce Bone-In Prime Ribeye, Potato Gratin, Creamed Spinach & Caramelized Shallot Sauce | 60.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake For Two | 15.

After a snowbound week of homecooked tacos and pasta, I definitely am looking forward to this!

[goodeats]

I just want to let you all know that this is a very hard post to write. A birthday dinner here didn't proceed as smoothly, and gosh darn, I truly wish I was the table next to ours, where they got welcoming hugs from Chef Koslow, the server came over right away and every water glass was filled. I only say that last part because my poor little guy was wondering why my water glass was filled and his was not.

The moral of the story tonight is to not go on a night when the sommelier is off and the server has to apologize for the GM because he is too busy to stop by.

I chose this place because I had a such a wonderful meal by Chef Koslow when he was a Mendocino Grille a couple years back. While the food was lovely, and I do recommend the Beets and Mascarpone Ravioli (half order of 3 for $11) and the Tilefish (it was nice and moist for $23) and my server was very apologetic, I couldn't help but feel like we were the corner table shielded by the invisibility cloak.

Yes, there are two sides to every story and while I do not know all that has happened, I can only relay that a) our water glasses weren't filled before our server came (he did the filling); B - the table next to us may or may not have had their water glasses filled at the same time, but they arrived a few minutes after us (I had to start looking at my mobile phone clock - it was at least 3 minutes of empty glasses); c) because the sommelier was off tonight, the manager could not come over to assist me in choosing a wine, but did recommend something to the server; d) the bread basket was slid in from my right side, startling me, appearing from nowhere; e) I started out ordering the arctic char, but because I noted my onion and garlic reflux, the server directed me to the tilefish instead, and have the kitchen make it without the onions (which was nice of them); except that f) the said plate of tilefish came with onions, so I had to send it back; g) it came from the kitchen with onions a second time but because I didn't want to send it back a second time since I had my little man with me and we were hungry so we ate it; h) I could not talk to the manager to ask about what happened, and yes, I did ask for him, but was reminded about ©, yet he did stop at tables 4 down from me (I was told because he was very busy he couldn't stop by); i)my server did offer to buy me dessert but I just wanted to leave; instead, he was nice to buy my glass of wine and sent out a plate of two of the nice glazed doughnuts and the worse part was j)my heart sank and I was near tears because it was supposed to be a nice dinner out with my son to celebrate. And oh, it was raining outside (although it was a drizzle by the time we left at around 8:08pm).

Could you tell I needed to vent (thank you all for letting me do that)? Was there something I should have done differently? Maybe my mistake was trying to dine with my little man during dinner at 7:30pm. There were 2 servers, 1 large party of 8 or 10, and maybe 7 tables (or a bit more?) filled. Was everyone just overwhelmed? I am definitely turning to the sage wisdom of the community here...

[ktmoomau]

Had a final meal with the Aunt and Uncle this morning. I had the leek frittata which was very nice. It is cooked in its own little skillet and has nice flavor and texture. Very fresh tasting with potatoes and pia de gallo, leeks and some spring onion on top. And I love the little donuts you get to start, if I was just with my husband I would have used my finger to get the extra frosting. Anyway another good breakfast, but next time I am getting the waffle it looked great.

[PJC III]

Ate outside at Tallula on a beautiful Saturday evening (7/10/10). Even though you are right on Washington Blvd, there is something I really like about the patio here.

Started with the pan seared sea scallops with polenta. Scallops were very nice, but the creamy fresh corn polenta really made the dish. Moved on to a completely unremarkable saffron fettuccini. Next came the hanger steak, perfectly done to a very rosey pink, with heirloom tomatos and a very nice potato galette (very much in need of a bit of salt). Finished with the chocolate toffee brownie cake and a cappuccino. Now usually I don't care about deserts, and more often than not chocolate deserts are just disappointing, but this was by far the tastiest end to a meal I have had in a while. And to make things even better, an OUTSTANDING cappuccino. Really, outstanding. So good we ordered a second. Should not forget, I don't remember being impressed by the beer selection before, but someone has definitely put some thought in there.

This brings me to the only disappointment: service. Not terrible, just disappointing. When we arrived we were the only people on the patio. Our server seemed less than thrilled to pick up our table. He wasn't overtly rude, but he seemed distracted and like he wanted to get away as soon as possible. When the hostess sat a second couple outside, he complained to her loudly right there on the patio and told her he would not take anymore outside tables after 8 (the patio was full by the time we left). He missed our dessert order and asked us to repeat it because he was too busy checking out the party going in the front door. Check was simply dropped on the table in passing. We don't get out as frequently as we used to, so it is disappointing to encounter indifferent service. Fortunately the meal, drinks, dessert, and that cappuccino (not to mention the guy who made the espresso drinks was very pleasant) vastly outweighed any service issue and the inattention just became a running joke after a while.

Lastly, a little lesson for management: if your employees do not speak English, they should not assume that the diners do not know their native toungue. We asked the very sweet busperson for a few things (had not seen our server in a while) and she responded in the afirmative, indication she understood. She returned to the table with one of our requests just as the server arrived and, after delivering the single item, said to him in Spanish "They asked for other things but I don't know what they said." At the very least they should be instructed in the basics (we were asking for the wine list and salt and pepper) or taught to how to say the will need to get someone else.

[tripewriter]

Seared Elephant's Trunk scallops with tomato relish on sweet corn polenta. Perfection on a plate and this is no exaggeration.

[Escoffier]

Grover and I made a return trip to Tallula last night after an extensive absence. I had stipulated in Open Table that we wanted 3 courses, dessert and paired wines. When we arrived Chef came and asked if we had any preferences. Our only request was that it be four light courses. What an amazing dinner. If I don't remember everything we ate it's definitely not due to the food but I'll blame it on the wine. The dinner went something like this:

The Amuse Bouche. This should have been named the Amaze Bouche. A small plate of homegrown tomatoes, fresh from the garden Basil, cubes of watermelon and avacado and the topper, bits of crab meat. Not only light but very refreshing and extremely good. The flavors just flowed. An amazing dish indeed. Not only was this finished but the bread was used to sop up any remaining juices.

Saffron Fettuccine, rock shrimp, calamari, chorizo. Totally amazing. Nothing else to add to that. If you ask for only one dish, ask for this.

Wild Striped Bass, beech mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, green curry, jasmine rice. A perfectly sized portion of Bass. It's hard to believe, but the green curry was an artful addition to the bass. This reminded me of some Thai dishes we've had and was wonderful. The curry added a very flavorful touch without being overpowering and the skin was perfectly crisp and delicious.

Pan Roasted Pekin Duck Breast, roasted peaches, turnips, watercress, vin cotto. Grover and I had duck breast at Table in Asheville last weekend. Table's version was good, Tallula's was 100 times better. Tender, moist duck breast cooked to perfection. Dinner was a cornucopia of tastes and colors and textures. Nothing disappointed, every great flavor led to the next course and even greater flavor. For the amount of money we spent, the entire dinner was an amazing bargain. If you haven't eaten Chef Koslow's food, you owe it to yourself to go and try it. Let him design a tasting menu for you and I'm sure you'll never regret it. Now we just have to figure out how we can get Tallula, Brabo, Vermillion, and Evening Star into some sort of dinner rotation without becoming poster children for some weight loss program.

[tripewriter]

Tallula Chef Barry Koslow must have Thailand on the mind. His wild striped bass with jasmine rice -- on a bed of zucchini, eggplant and green curry -- is delicious. The delicate flavors of the fish and rice, complemented by the salty savory curried vegetables are a great flavor combination. The crispy skin of the grilled bass (which even the Mrs enjoyed) and a garnish of sweet potato chips is a thoughtful finishing touch. Yum yum yum!

[rojo]

Tallula and EatBar are pleased to announce our first ever 'Pig Pickin' Oysterfest'!

Join us outdoors at Tallula and EatBar on Saturday, October 23 from 12 - 4 to sip, slurp and swine the day away!

We're pulling out all the stops for an afternoon full of fun and fine food. Chef Nathan Anda will be on hand roasting a whole pig and Chef Barry Koslow and his crew will take to the stoves while the boys from Dragon Creek bust out their finest local bivalves - all of which will be washed down down with a bevy of craft beers and handpicked wines.

Tickets can be purchased via Tallula's Website

We hope to see you all there!

[agm]

That just completely and utterly ruined my day. I love oysters. I love roast pig enough to roast one or two a year myself. Putting these two wonderful things together sounds like a pretty good approximation of heaven. To top it off, you're doing it on my birthday, just a few minutes away from my home.

And I'm going to be spending the day about 75 miles further south.

Excuse me, I'm going to go cry now.

[grover]

Oyster and pork? Sounds like Bossam (Steamed pork belly with raw oyster and kimchi stuffing) to me.

Matt, is this only one weekend event?